Influenza may include an acute contagious viral infection characterized by acute inflammation of the respiratory tract and by fever, chills, muscular pain, and prostration. Influenza may also include any of various viral infections of domestic animals characterized generally by acute inflammation, fever and respiratory involvement. Although not as severe as flu, a common cold, which can be caused by more than 200 different viruses, may include congestion of the head and chest.
Typical attempts to fight influenza use vaccines. Unfortunately this does not attack the viruses at their primary entrance and exit from the human body, the nose and throat. Further, new vaccines are needed for new strains of the virus and are not easily scalable. Each year, vaccines are only created for a handful of flu strains, leaving people without comprehensive influenza protection; there would be an estimated six month delay to create a vaccine in response to a pandemic. Moreover, vaccines cannot be used for people who have an allergy to chicken eggs or thimerosal, people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination, people who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine, children less than 6 months of age, and people who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever.
Other attempts to fight influenza have used M2 channel blockers and neuraminidase inhibitors (e.g. Tamiflu® and Relenza®). Unfortunately, the existing treatment of influenza, e.g., the prototype neuraminidase inhibitor, oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), has not been shown to decrease the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections in patients with influenza. Moreover, zanamivir (Relenza®) is not indicated in patients with underlying respiratory or heart disease or below the age of 7. “In conclusion, neuraminidase inhibitors have modest effectiveness against the symptoms of influenza in otherwise healthy adults. Neuraminidase inhibitors might be regarded as optional for reducing symptoms of seasonal influenza.” Cochrane review article: Jefferson T, et. al. Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults. BMJ 8 Dec. 2009; 339:b5106.
There remains an important unmet need for a therapeutic approach for treating influenza, common cold, acute inflammation, subacute inflammation, and chronic inflammation which addresses one or more of the underlying pathologic mechanisms.